Margaret
Visser gave the 2002 CBC Massey Lectures, Beyond Fate, as a five
lecture tour across Canada in November, 2003. The lectures were
also released as a book by Anansi Press.
National Bestseller, Globe and Mail

In Beyond Fate, Visser investigates what fate means to us, and where
the propensity to believe in it and accept it comes from. She takes
an ancient metaphor where time is "seen" and spoken of
as though it were space; she examines how this way of picturing
reality can be a useful tool to think with – or, on the other
hand, how it may lead us into disastrous misunderstandings. There
are ways out. We begin by observing how fatalism expresses itself
in our daily lives, in everything from table manners and shopping
to sport. Having learned to detect the signs by which fatalism begins
to manifest itself, we can go on to consider how to limit its influence
over us. Beyond Fate provides a timely and provocative perspective
on modern life, both personal and social.

REVIEWS:

"Certainly there are worse ways to exercise our freedom than
by listening to (Margaret Visser's) learned and humane voice."Andy Lamey, National Post